Ribbon-feeding mechanism for adding-machines.



No. 796,617. PATENTED AUG. 8, 1905. G. WALES.

RIBBON FEEDING MECHANISM FOR ADDING MACHINES. APPLICATION FILED nncasl. 190s.

awvwwtoz 7 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES WALES, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 8, 1905.

Application filed December 31, 1903. Serial No. 187,299.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES WALES, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ribbon-Feeding Mechanism for Adding-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to machines for adding and registering on numeral-w heels and printing the results of such operations, but has particular reference to the means provided in the printing portion of such machines for feeding the inking-ribbon forward step by step and automatically reversing the direction of such feeding motion when the ribbon has been fully unwound from the spool upon which it is carried. An example of such machines for calculating and printing the results is fully illustrated and described in a prior application filed by me in the United States Patent Oflice on the 15th day of September, 1903, Serial No. 173,319, and reference may be made to such application for a full explanation of the construction and operation of such parts as connect and cooperate with the mechanism for feeding the inking-ribbon which forms the subject-matter of this application. In a calculating and printing machine of this class the paper upon which the results are to be printed is caused to pass over or against a platen, an inking-ribbon is fed along in front of the paper, type are positioned at the printing-point, and hammers caused to strike the type against the ribbon, and thus make the desired impressions on the paper. In order that the impressions may be distinct, the type is not allowed to continuously strike the same spot on the ribbon, but the ribbon is moved or fed along a step or short space after each impression to present a fresh spot to the type for the next impression, and when the ribbon has been fed ofi one spool to another the direction of the feed is automatically reversed. I have illustrated such ribbon-feeding mechanism in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view with the parts in the positions assumed at the end of the movement of the ribbon in one direction, only so much of the general mechanism of the ma- .chine being shown as is necessary to a proper understanding of the ribbon-feeding mechanism, many parts being broken away and some shown in dotted lines' Fig. 2 is also a perspective view with parts broken away, the

positions being those assumed when the parts are adjusted to reverse the movement of the ribbon.

Like reference characters mark the same parts in both figures of the drawings.

Referring specifically to the drawings, 1 indicates the base of the machine, usually of metal and of any suitable outline, upon which are erected suitable uprights on each side to support the calculating and printing mechanism. In this instance all of the uprights are not shown, those illustrated being marked 2, 3, 4, and 5, the uprights 3 being supported from horizontal arms extending from uprights 2. The uprights 2 are the supports for the calculating mechanism, and the uprights 4 and 5 are pieces of the printing-frame.

Secured on the top of the printing-frame pieces 4 and 5 is a curved plate 6, from the edge of which projects a bracket 7, to which is fulcrumed midway its length a bar 8, from near each end of which depends a rod, as at 9 and 10, each of said rods being connected at its lower end by a spring, as at 11 and 12, with a pin 13 projecting from each of two pawls 14 and 15, said pawls being pivotally connected at their forward ends to the crossrod 16, carried by crank-arms 17, secured upon a rock-shaft 18, oscillated by the main mechanism of the machine at each stroke of the printing-hammers, the pawls resting when in lowered positions upon pins 19 and 20, projecting from lugs 21 and 22, mounted on the base 1 of-the machine. The pawls are thus suspended from the fulcrumed bar 8 by the rods 9 and and springs 11 and 12, and the arrangement is such that when pawl 14 is .down, resting on pin 20, pawl is up in position to cause a pin or tooth 26 thereon to engage the teeth of a ratchet-wheel 27, secured on a ribbon-spool 28, and vice versa. When pawl 15 is down and resting on pin 19, pawl 14 is up and its tooth 23 engages a ratchet-wheel 24 on the side of a spool 25, both spools being journaled on the shaft or rod 29, mounted in said lugs 21 and 22 and kept at proper tension by any suitable means. (Not shown.)

The inking-ribbon 32 passes up at the front of spool through a metal loop 33 at the lower end of a bar 34, depending from bar 8, thence over a roller 35 on a transverse shaft 36, thence rearwardly to and through a vertical guide-slot 37 in a bracket 38, secured to the frame, thence transversely in front of the platen 39, thence through a vertical guideslot 40 in a bracket 41, secured to the frame, thence over another roller 42 on the shaft 36, and thence down through a loop 43 on a bar 44, depending from the opposite end of bar 8 to the rear side of spool 28. Secured to the ribbon near each end is a metal loop 45. (Only one being shown.) The ribbon is fed along one step at a time during the return stroke of the main operating-lever of the calculating-machine (not shown) by the backward stroke of the raised and engaged pawl, as at 14, until it is nearly all wound on the spool 25, when the loop 45 strikes the loop 43 on bar 44, forcing said bar upward, tilting the fulcrumed bar 8, raising the lowered pawl 14 into engagement with ratchetwheel 27, lowering the raised pawl 15 out of engagement with ratchet-wheel 24, and thus reversing the movement or travel of the ribbon, the operation continuing until the ribbon is wound on spool 28 until another reversal takes place, these actions being repeated automatically as long as the machine is operated. The reversing movement of the bar 8 is assisted by means of a spring 46, secured to it atone end, the opposite end of the spring being secured to a pin 47, projecting from the frame in the horizontal plane of the fulcrum of bar 8, so as to tend to hold the bar in either of its adjusted positions and to jump it quickly past the central point of its movement in the reversing operation.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided simple and effective mechanism for effecting the step-by-step feed of the inking-ribbon in either direction and the automatic reversal of the ribbon movement when it is unwound from either spool, and while I have illustrated and described such mechanism in connection with the calculating and printing mechanism of my former application, it is obvious that such ribbon-actuating mechpawls pivoted to a swinging frame and sup-- ported near their outer ends from the fulcrumed bar, and means operated by the movement of the ribbon to tilt the bar, shift the pawls and reverse the feed.

2. The combination of two spools carrying ratchet-wheels, a centrally-fulcrumed bar, two pawls pivoted to a swinging frame and supported near their outer ends from the fulcrumed bar, a metal bar depending from the fulcrumed bar near each end carrying a loop near its lower end through which the ribbon passes, and an obstruction secured upon the {ibbon near each end to contact with the metal oops.

3. The combination of a shaft, two spools loose thereon to which are secured the ends of the ink-ribbon,ratchet-wheels on the spools, guides for the ribbon, a swinging frame, two pawls pivoted thereto and extending by the ratchet-wheels, a fulcrumed bar, rods connecting it near each end with the respective pawls, two bars depending from the fulcrumed bar near its ends and carrying metal loops through which the ribbon passes, and obstructions on the ribbon near each end too large to pass through the metal loops.

Witness my hand, this 19th day of December, 1903,at the city of Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan.

CHARLES WALES.

Witnesses:

Jason C. LOTTERHAND, WILLIAM R. BAIRD. 

